Transcript Elements of a Narrative Knowing these elements makes us

Elements of a
Narrative
Knowing these elements makes us
better readers and analyzers of what
we read.
Elements of a Narrative






Point of View
Setting
Characterization
Theme
Conflict
Plot
POINT OF VIEW
http://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/pointofview/
The point of view is the
perspective of the story.
“That rotten wolf
tried to eat us!!!!”
“I was framed! I just
wanted to borrow a cup
of sugar!”
Types of Point of View


1st Person
3rd Person


Limited
Omniscient
First Person Point of View




The narrator does participate in the action
of the story.
When reading stories in the first person,
we need to realize that what the narrator
is recounting might not be the objective
truth.
Always subjective.
Pronouns used: I, me, we, ours, etc.
Third Person Point of View



The narrator does not participate in the
action of the story as one of the characters,
but lets us know exactly how the characters
feel. We learn about the characters through
this outside voice.
Pronouns used: he, she, they, them, etc.
Can be objective or subjective
Limited

The narrator only shares thoughts and
feelings of one character.
Omniscient

The narrator shares thoughts and feelings
of any and all characters. “All-knowing”
Consider



What point of view does the author use in
the story we read?
Is it limited or omniscient?
How do you think the point of view affected
the way you feel about the story?
SETTING
Setting
Time and place where action occurs
Details that describe:
 Furniture
 Scenery
 Customs
 Transportation
 Clothing
 Dialects
 Weather
 Time of day
 Time of year
Elements of a Setting
SETTING
TIME
PLACE
MOOD
ENVIRONMENT
Functions of Setting
•
•
•
•
•
To create a mood or atmosphere
To make action seem more real
To show a reader a different way of
life
To be the source of conflict or
struggle
To symbolize an idea
Time to Apply


What was the setting of the story we read?
What evidence can you find in the story
that shows how:



the setting affects the action?
the setting affects the story’s mood?
the setting is related to the conflict?
CHARACTERIZATION
Types of Characters
Major
Cinderella
Minor
Ugly Stepsister
Types of Characters

 Protagonist - the leading character, hero, or
heroine

 Antagonist - the adversary of the hero or
protagonist

Dynamic – changes or develops

Static – not changing
Protagonists
Antagonists
Characterization


A writer reveals what a character is like and how
the character changes throughout the story.
Two primary methods of characterization:
Direct writer tells what the character is like
Indirect writer shows what a character is like by
describing what the character looks like, by
telling what the character says and does, and
by what other characters say about and do in
response to the character.
Example of Direct Characterization
…And
I don’t play the dozens or
believe in standing around with somebody
in my face doing a lot of talking. I much
rather just knock you down and take my
chances even if I’m a little girl with skinny
arms and a squeaky voice, which is how I
got the name Squeaky.
From “Raymond’s Run” by T. Bambara
Example of Indirect Characterization
The old man bowed to all of us
in the room. Then he removed his
hat and gloves, slowly and carefully.
Chaplin once did that in a picture, in
a bank--he was the janitor.
From “Gentleman of Rio en Medio” by J. Sedillo
Factors in Analyzing Characters
•
•
•
•
•
•
Personality
Background/personal history
Motivation
Relationships
How he/she handles conflict
Physical appearance of character
Time to Apply




Was there a protagonist in the story we
read? If so, was he/she static or dynamic ?
Was the author mainly using direct or
indirect characterization? Example?
What evidence from the story can you cite
to show that the author made the main
characters round?
Describe a flat character in the story.
THEME
Theme
 A central
message, concern, or insight
into life
 Can be expressed with a short
statement
 About human beings or about life
 May be stated directly or implied
 Uncovered by reader through
interpretation
A Theme Is:
A universal message or truth about life
You can’t always get
what you want
A Theme Is:
sometimes implied through simile
Dream Deferred
What happens to a dream
deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
and then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar
over—
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load
Or does it just explode?
- Langston
Hughes
Time to Apply



What is the theme of the story we read?
What evidence from the story can you use
to support your ideas?
Is the theme stated or implied? Cite
passages.
CONFLICT
Conflict
Conflict is the dramatic struggle
between two forces in a story.
Without conflict, there is no plot.
Types of Conflict
External
Character vs Character
Character vs Nature
Internal
Character vs Society
Character vs Self
Time to Apply



What conflicts are important to
understanding the point of the story we
read?
Are these conflicts internal or external?
How are the conflicts important to the
theme of the story?
PLOT
PLOT
•describes the structure of a story.
•shows the causal arrangement of events and
actions within a story.
Plot Components
Climax: the turning point, the
most intense moment—either
mentally or in action
Rising Action: the series
of conflicts and crisis in
the story that lead to the
climax
Exposition: the
start of the story,
the situation
before the action
starts
Falling Action:
all of the action
which follows
the climax
Resolution
Denoument/catastrophe:
the conclusion, the tying
together of all of the threads
Plot: Jack & the Beanstalk
Climax
Rising
Action
Jack steals giant’s goose
which lays a golden egg.
4. Jack climbs beanstalk and
discovers giant’s castle.
Falling Action
Jack is chased by the giant.
3. Jack plants beans and
beanstalk grows.
2. Jack trades cow for magic
beans.
Jack chops down the
beanstalk, causing the
giant to fall to his death.
1. Jack’s mother sends him to
town to trade cow for food.
Exposition
Jack and his mother live in
poverty.
Resolution/d’enouement
Jack and his mother live
happily in comfort thanks to
the golden egg.
Time to Apply






What is the exposition in the story we read?
How does action build-up?
What is the climax of the story?
Describe the falling action.
What is the resolution?
How is the story told: chronological,
flashback, or in media res?